Toby returns with our order and glides back into his seat. “Coffee for you, and café mocha for me.” He takes a sip and licks his lips. “I like it when the whipped creams melts into it,” he says.

There’s a pause of silence as we look at each other. The tension’s thick between us, but it’s the good kind. I want to tell him straight out that I find him adorable.

“I like cream,” I say. I blush instantly. Where in the hell did that come from?

I feel something brush against my foot under the table. I jump from sheer surprise, and Toby winks at the same time. He’s being bold with me. This is something unexpected, but I’m liking this side of him.

“You’re cute,” he tells me. He takes another sip of his café mocha. “You surprised me in the locker room. I didn’t think you would speak to me.”

I swallow hard and clear my throat. “Normally I wouldn’t. I am out, so it’s not like I’m living in the closet or anything like that.”

“You caught me off guard. You could probably tell that.”

“You looked a little uncomfortable,” I admit. “It can be a little awkward when you know nothing about the other guy. I try to tread lightly in such cases.”

“So, you hit on a lot of guys when out and about?” Toby asks.

I nearly choke as I swallow a mouthful of java. “Hardly,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This…You and me.” I cough. “Sorry. This is the first date I’ve been on since forever.”

“This is a date?” Toby asks. “I thought it was coffee.”

See, it’s like I was saying. The two can easily get confused. “It is coffee, I guess.”

“I’m screwing with you. It’s whatever we want it to be.” A mischievous look is all over his sexy face as he waits for me to respond.

I nearly gulp down the last of my coffee. I honestly don’t know what to say. Toby’s brashness makes me almost nervous, but inside my jeans I’m rock hard. His foot nudges mine again.

“You’re something,” I say, almost laughing. “Looks are most certainly deceiving.”

“Are they? I’m being too forward, and you can’t handle that.”

“You’re playing with me. That’s what I think.”

“And you don’t like that,” Toby adds. He runs his hand back through his hair. “So asking you to leave here and come back to my place would be a terrible thing.”

“No, definitely not.” I don’t want him to think that I’m not interested because I am.

“That’s a yes or no?” Toby pushes his cup to the side.

“Yes,” I reply quickly. “Let’s go.”

****

“This is it,” Toby says once inside his apartment. We drove the short distance in my car from Joe’s. “It isn’t big, but I call it home.”

Toby’s apartment is extremely clean and neat. That’s the first thing that stands out to me. The design is what I would call comfortable modern. The furnishings are sleek and contemporary, but the place has a homelike feeling too. I settle on the couch, and I can’t believe that I’m sitting there. I’m surrounded by his personal space and everything feels extremely intimate.

“I like it,” I say. “You have a flair for design.”

“Isn’t that typical.” Toby smiles. “I’m a bit of a walking cliché. But anyway, would you like a drink?”

“Sure,” I reply. “This really is a great space.”

I’m a little envious. There are times when I wish I didn’t have a roommate. My situation with my roomie and friend has become way too complicated.

“I have sodas,” Toby says coming back into the room. “Since you’re driving, booze isn’t going to be in the picture.” He takes a seat next to me, and our knees touch. “Perhaps you don’t drink. I’m jumping way ahead. I know very little about you.”

“I drink on social occasions.” I’m very aware of Toby sitting so close to me and inside, I feel like someone is doing flips in my stomach. The sweaty palms have returned. “But don’t think I’m a lush or anything remotely like that.” The last thing I want is for him to get the wrong impression.

“I don’t think that.”

“You surprise me,” I suddenly blurt out. I feel hot, like I’m burning up. My cheeks are flushed, and I can’t help but squirm a little. “At the gym when we first met, I kind of had you pegged as being more…How should I say this?” I pause to find the right word and then it comes to me. “Submissive.” That’s the word.

“Like ‘Fifty Shades’ submissive?” Toby rolls his eyes. “I like it hot and a little rough, but I’m not into BDSM if that’s what you’re hinting at.”

“What?”

“The book. Surely you have read it?”

“No.”

“It makes no difference. I’m not a submissive type of guy.” Toby’s voice goes a little deeper. “I like guys like you.”

“Guys like me?”

“Yes.” He leans in close to me. I shiver as his hot breath caresses my ear. His arm now rests around my shoulders, and he draws me even closer to him. “If I saw you on the street or at the gym and didn’t know any better, I’d think you were one hundred percent straight. It was only when you kept looking at me and struck up that conversation in the locker room that I knew you and I played for the same team. You smell fucking awesome.”

A small moan escapes my lips as I feel Toby kiss my earlobe and he moves to my neck. This is my weak spot. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me,” I manage to mutter. My cock strains inside my jeans to get free. My excitement is obvious.

“I think I do,” Toby replies. He’s coy and sexy at the same time, which is a deadly combination. “I’m not that innocent.”